Recipe courtesy of Valerie Bertinelli Boiled lima beans and corn are tossed with golden sauteed onions and plum tomatoes in a bright cider vinegar dressing seasoned with parsley, sage, and nutmeg. This hearty, rustic salad celebrates classic American harvest ingredients and makes a wonderful Thanksgiving side dish.

A complex mole sauce built from ancho and pasilla chiles, almonds, pepitas, Mexican chocolate, raisins, chipotles, and warm spices is slow-cooked with chicken for four hours and served with a bright radish salad and charred tortillas. This rich, deeply layered mole showcases the depth of Mexican cuisine and lets the slow cooker do the patient work of melding dozens of ingredients into one extraordinary sauce.

Gingerbread-espresso cookie dough is shaped into cones, filled with a pecan-brown sugar-cherry mixture, and baked until golden and fragrant. These charming bell-shaped cookies are a treasured holiday heirloom recipe with warm spice, toasty nuts, and a touch of fruity sweetness in every bite.

Indonesian stir-fried noodles are tossed with sliced pork tenderloin, shredded cabbage, red pepper, and sambal oelek in a homemade ketjap sambal sauce made with tamari and five-spice powder. This aromatic, wok-fired noodle dish brings the bold, sweet-spicy flavors of Indonesian street food to the home kitchen.

Crisp iceberg wedges draped in a rich Gorgonzola and sour cream dressing with Roma tomatoes and shatteringly crispy baked pancetta. A steakhouse classic that embraces cheat day with its creamy, indulgent blue cheese dressing.

A decadent layered cake starting with chocolate cake batter topped with a creamy mascarpone-ricotta filling that magically swaps layers as it bakes. Finished with a rich cocoa-mascarpone frosting.

A vibrant salad of spring greens and romaine tossed with cherry tomatoes, radishes, pecans, and goat cheese. Dressed in a tangy red wine vinaigrette with a jar-shake method.

Caramel ice cream blended with rich stout beer and topped with whipped cream and malt powder for a decadent, boozy shake

Two racks of lamb tied into an elegant crown, slow-roasted then finished at high heat, and served with a vibrant mint-cilantro-almond pesto. A dramatic, centerpiece-worthy roast that elevates any holiday dinner to a truly memorable occasion.

Spicy, garlicky Calabrian chili shrimp piled on crispy golden toast with creamy avocado and a bright squeeze of lemon. This one comes together in 20 minutes and feels like a treat every single time.